This whole phenomenon of the computer in a library is an amazing thing.
Bill Gates
Children
Babies bounce on laps. Toddlers wander from books to toys and back again. Elementary children arrive via bus 5 days a week. There are songs, stories, games, puppets and play.
Teens
Unlike many communities, Waverly is fortunate to have a large group of teens who use the Library as a regular meeting place with friends, and a space for collaboration, gaming and activities.
Adults
When the Library is filled with young people, adults find themselves vying for room. The most common request from adults is more space for quiet reading and relaxation.
Community
People are looking for a place to work, play, meet and learn. No matter what the need, the Library provides the one free public space open to everyone.
11,200
annual check-out of digital books, audiobooks and magazines
1,100
total programs now offered annually, compared to roughly 450 when the building opened
27,000+
movies checked out each year
77%
increase in use of digital materials over just the last 3 years
TRANSFORMATION
Just 25 years ago, DVDs and digital books were new. Public computers connected to the Internet were new. There were no iPads; no Kindles; no Chromebooks. Wireless “hot spots” were still years away.
Today, the Library has been transformed. Computers, electronic devices and Wi-Fi are an indispensable part of what the Library offers, and the Library’s digital materials make up more than half of the collection. The “library of things” to check out has also grown, everything from board games to dolls, cake pans to kilowatt meters, snowshoes to kayaks.
25 YEARS AGO
TODAY
COLLECTION
